This invention relates to improvements in or relating to stripping apparatus particularly adapted for stripping fibrous cladding material from a body.
In recent times there has been a growing awareness amongst the public about the dangers involved with the handling of fibrous materials, particularly in the light of the numerous respiratory problems afflicting persons who have worked in an environment containing fibrous materials. This has been highlighted particularly in view of the problems in handling fibrous asbestos material and the relatively high incidence of persons working with the same contracting asbestosis. Unfortunately fibrous materials hazardous to health, such as fibrous asbestos material have been used extensively in the building industry in the past as cladding the lagging materials. As a result of increasing public pressure, it has been necessary for the authorities to insist upon the removal or the melioriation of these materials in areas that pose a possible hazard to the health of persons therein. Consequently, eleborate provisions and regulations have been enforced to control the removal or melioriation of these materials, so as to minimise the risk to persons effecting these operations. As a result, the use of protective apparatus in the form of flexible bags covering a body bearing fibrous material and/or protective clothing in the form of face masks and the like have become mandatory accessories to workmen involved with these operations.
To assist in removing lagging materials from pipes and the like, a detachable bag which sealingly encompasses a section of the pipe has been marketed for several years under the trade mark "Asbebag" in various countries of the world including Australia. This bag is formed with a pair of specially shaped flaps at its open end which are placed about a longitudinal portion of the pipe from opposite sides thereof so as to form a circumscribing sleeve portion about the pipe. A fastening arrangement provided on the meeting edges of the flaps can then be operated to secure the bag to the pipe. The opposite ends of the so formed sleeve portion can then be tied to sealingly engage the bag with the pipe. The bag is also formed with a pair of arm portions which extend inwardly of the bag and which terminate with gloves so that an operator can insert his hands and perform manipulations within the interior of the bag for work on the pipe whilst maintaining isolation between the interior of the bag and the operator's hands. Thus fibrous material can be stripped from the pipe and collected within bag without risking exposure to the stripped fibrous material.
Under the health regulations in Australia it is only practical to use the bag once, whereupon becoming full, it must be removed from the pipe and disposed of without allowing the stripped fibrous material to escape from the bag and come into contact with the operator. Accordingly, it is usually necessary to use several bags to completely strip a pipe covered in lagging. Unfortunately, due to the special shape of the bags, manufacturing costs of the bags are exhorbitant and hence costs in completing a stripping operation can be excessive.